The Outsiders
The Outsiders is an American drama based on the book by the same name written by S.E. Hinton Plot Set in 1965 Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Greasers are a gang of tough, low-income working-class teens. They include Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell), and his two older brothers Sodapop (Rob Lowe) and Darrel (Patrick Swayze), as well as Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio), Dallas Winston (Matt Dillon), Two-Bit Matthews (Emilio Estevez), and Steve Randle (Tom Cruise). Their rivalry is with the Socs, a gang of wealthier kids from the other side of town. Five of the Socs jump Ponyboy and cut his neck with a switchblade; Johnny had beem similarly attacked the month before. Two Socs, Bob Sheldon (Leif Garret) and Randy Adderson (Darren Dalton), confront Johnny, Ponyboy, and Two-Bit, who are talking to the Socs' girlfriends, Cherry (Diane Lane) and Marcia (Michelle Meyrink), at a drive-in theater. The girls defuse the situation by going home with the Socs. Later than night, Ponyboy and Johnny are attacked in a park by Bob, Randy, and two other Socs. They begin dunking Ponyboy in a fountain, but Johnny pulls out his switchblade and stabs Bob, killing him accidently. On the advice of Dallas, Ponyboy and Johnny leave town, and hide out in an abandoned church in Windrixville. Ponyboy dyes his hair blonde with peroxide in case anybody spots him. He reads Gone with the Wind and quotes the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay". Dallas arrives with news that Cherry has offered to support the boys in court, that he told the police that Johnny and Ponyboy were in Texas, and gives Pony a note from Sodapop.They go out for food, then return to find the church on fire with children trapped inside. After Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dallas rescue the children from the church, Ponyboy and Dally make swift recoveries, while Johnny is diagnosed with a broken back and several third degree burns. The boys are praised for their heroism, but Johnny is charged with manslaughter for killing Bob, while Ponyboy may be sent to a boys' home. Bob's death has sparked calls from Socs for "a rumble", which the Greasers win. Dallas then drives Ponyboy to the hospital to visit Johnny. Johnny is unimpressed by the victory, and dies after telling Ponyboy to "stay gold," referring to the Frost poem. Unable to bear Johnny's death, Dallas wanders through the hospital, pretending to shoot a doctor with his his unloaded gun, which clicks harmlessly. He then robs a grocery store with the same gun, but he is shot and wounded by the owner as he flees. Pursed by the police, Dallas is surrounded in a park and the police kill him after he repeatedly refues to drop his unloaded gun. Ponyboy finds a letter from Johnny saying that saving the children was worth sacrificing his own life. The story ends as it began, with Ponyboy writing a school report about his experiences. Cast C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade Matt Dillon as Dallas "Dally" Winston Rob Lowe as Sodapop "Soda" Curtis Patrick Swayze as Darrel "Darry" Curtis Emilio Estevez as Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews Tom Cruise as Steve Randle Glenn Withrow as Tim Shepard Diane Lane as Sherri "Cherry" Valance Leif Garrett as Bob Sheldon Darren Dalton as Randy Adderson Michelle Meyrink as Marcia Impact This film launched the careers of many of the stars in this film. It is also considered the first Brat Pack film. Category:1983 Films